Its attack was exactly fifty points lower than Red-Eyes Black Dragon, so calling it second place made sense. Onizuka Genichiro grew even more pleased and put his hands on his hips.
"This is only the beginning. Fear it, tremble, and then submit before true power!"
"So strong. Way too strong," Yugen said calmly. "That's why I activate my set card."
He flipped over a card in his back row.
"Trap Card Bottomless Trap Hole. When a monster with 1500 or more attack is summoned, destroy it and remove it from play."
A vortex opened on Onizuka Genichiro's field. Before Evil Knight Dragon's entrance effect could even finish, the dragon pitched forward and fell into the endless abyss, vanishing into another dimension.
Onizuka Genichiro froze in silence.
He was still holding his hands-on-hips pose, which now looked painfully foolish against the empty field. Even putting it politely, he looked like someone who should be reconsidering his career and maybe heading to Gotan City to act opposite Kurokoga Batto instead.
The grin that had never left Onizuka Genichiro's face since the duel began finally faltered. Losing two boss monsters to traps in a single turn was enough to irritate even him.
Still, he forced himself onward.
"Hmph, you've got some skill," he said. "But don't get cocky. Next you'll see real despair and darkness!"
Even as he spoke, he did not notice that his smile had already vanished.
"I activate my set card, the Spell Foolish Burial. This lets me send one monster from my deck to the graveyard. I send Balloon Lizard from my deck to the graveyard."
He searched his deck and placed the monster card into the graveyard.
"Then I activate another set card, the Continuous Trap Limit Reverse. I can special summon a monster with 1000 or less attack from my graveyard in attack position. I revive Balloon Lizard!"
Balloon Lizard appeared with 500 attack.
"Next I activate the Spell Super Evolution Pill from my hand," Onizuka Genichiro continued. "I tribute one Reptile monster on my field to special summon a Dinosaur monster from my hand. I tribute Balloon Lizard!"
Golden light poured from the spell card and wrapped around the lizard. Under the magic's influence, its body expanded at a visible rate, growing to a towering height in moments.
"From the depths of time, breaking free from endless ages, descend now. Evolution Summon, level eight. Ultra Ancient Terror Beast!"
The monster emerged with an attack power of 2700.
Despite triggering trap after trap, he had summoned another ace monster in the same turn. Onizuka Genichiro felt a surge of pride and nearly laughed out loud.
Could his opponent really have another Bottomless Trap Hole waiting?
"Activate set card, Trap Card Dark Trap," Yugen said evenly, snapping his fingers again. "I can only use it while my Life Points are 3000 or lower. I pay 1000 Life Points, and this card's effect becomes the same as a Normal Trap in my graveyard."
Yugen's Life Points dropped from 3000 to 2000.
"The one I choose is this."
His face-down Trap Card shifted in a stream of data, changing its form.
"Trap Card Bottomless Trap Hole. When a monster with 1500 or more attack is summoned, destroy it and remove it from play."
Onizuka Genichiro stared in shock.
He reached out desperately toward the monster he had just fought to summon. The Ultra Ancient Terror Beast glanced back as if resigned, then tilted and fell into the pit, following Evil Knight Dragon into another dimension.
Onizuka Genichiro went silent again.
It was Trap Hole once more, and again Trap Hole. He finally put on a look of pure misery.
Something about this felt deeply wrong. He was supposed to be the one using Shadow Duel, the one who brought darkness and pain to others through duels. Yet halfway through the match, he realized that the pain was written all over his own face.
For the first time since becoming a Shadow Duel user, he felt that his opponent was even darker than he was. His own methods relied on supernatural power and physical suffering, but the person in front of him needed none of that.
Just playing cards was enough to crush him.
He could not help thinking that even as a Shadow Duel user, this style of dueling felt far more terrifying.
"I set two cards and end my turn," he said gloomily.
There was nothing else he could do, but he still had hope. Even now, he trusted his back row and believed his defense would not fall so easily.
"My turn, Card Draw," Yugen said. "First, I activate the Spell Card Pot of Greed. I draw two cards, but I cannot activate other Spell Cards this turn."
He drew two cards from his deck.
"Next, I flip my set monster face-up. Flip Summon, Witch of the Black Forest."
The monster appeared with 1100 attack.
"Then I tribute Witch of the Black Forest to special summon this card from my hand."
Yugen paused as he held the card, turning his head slightly to the side. Beside him floated a faint, robed figure, pale and calm, its expression unchanged as it gave a small nod.
Without words, he seemed to understand. Yugen nodded in return.
"I'm counting on you."
He turned back to the duel.
"I tribute Witch of the Black Forest and special summon Silent Magician!"
A pale blue magic circle spread like moonlight on water. A slender figure in white robes appeared within it, silver hair flowing, a staff glowing with deep starlike light.
Silent Magician stood on the field with 1000 attack.
"So you've appeared, Spirit," Onizuka Genichiro muttered, watching warily. Silent Magician remained calm, looking straight ahead as if he did not exist.
"Silent Magician cannot be Normal Summoned," Yugen explained. "It can only be special summoned by tributing a Spellcaster Type monster on my field. At the same time, the effect of Witch of the Black Forest activates when it is sent to the graveyard."
"When sent to the graveyard, I can add a monster with 1500 or less defense from my deck to my hand."
Onizuka Genichiro laughed it off.
"Defense 1500 or less? Those are all trash monsters."
"I add Jinzo to my hand," Yugen replied.
Onizuka Genichiro nearly choked.
"That thing has defense under 1500?"
Jinzo's stats flashed, showing 2400 attack and exactly 1500 defense.
It was one of Joey Wheeler's famous aces, a new card from a supply pack given by Hall Master Takeuchi. That razor-thin defense value was exactly why Witch of the Black Forest was so dangerous.
"From my hand, I activate the effect of Performapal Trick Clown," Yugen continued. "I special summon it in attack position."
The monster appeared with zero attack.
"Then I tribute Performapal Trick Clown and Tribute Summon Jinzo!"
The clown dissolved into light, forming a swirling summoning storm. Metal and sparks burst forth as Jinzo descended onto the field with 2400 attack.
Onizuka Genichiro felt like his mind had split apart.
Jinzo was famous for shutting down Trap Cards completely. As long as it stayed on the field, all of Onizuka Genichiro's traps were useless decorations.
The worst part was something else entirely.
This thing also had only 1500 defense.
"Silent Magician gains 500 attack for each card in my hand," Yugen said. "I have two cards, so it gains 1000 attack."
Silent Magician's attack rose to 2000.
Together, the two monsters had 4400 total attack, enough to end the duel in one battle phase.
"Battle. It's over," Yugen said, raising his hand.
"Silent Magician and Jinzo, direct attack!"